The present invention generally relates to surface cleaning machines, particularly to floor surface cleaning machines, and specifically to floor surface scrubbers.
A floor scrubber is a commonly used piece of equipment in the floor-care industry. The machine is generally comprised of a tank to hold cleaning solution, a scrub system to agitate the solution on the floor surface in order to loosen dirt, a vacuum squeegee system to pick up the dirty solution, and a tank to contain the dirty solution. Often floor scrubbers are battery powered.
As set forth in at least U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,719, floor surface cleaning members can be arranged to engage the floor surface in a manner to not only treat the floor surface but also provide a propelling force. In particular, floor surface scrubbers often arranged a single rotating floor scrubbing member to be mounted at an angle to the forward direction of travel of the floor scrubber to counter torque steer from the floor scrubbing member and to provide such a propelling force for assisting the operator in moving the floor scrubber over the floor surface. However, while enhancing the propelling force generated, such mounting often sacrificed the size of the pattern which the floor scrubbing member engaged the floor, especially for uneven floors.
Additionally, cleaning solution was often shower fed on the back of the rotating floor scrubbing member in floor scrubbers where the floor scrubbing member was directly driven by a motor or a motor/gear box combination. The back of the floor scrubbing members included holes which supposedly allowed the solution to flow therethrough to the scrubbing portions and the floor surface. However, due to rotation of the floor scrubbing members, the solution was accelerated when it engaged the back of the floor scrubbing member and tended to travel outwardly beyond the periphery of the floor scrubbing member and even in a manner to engage the side floor wipers. It is desired that the scrubbing member work the solution for as long as possible against the floor surface. To maximize operational efficiency, it is desired to provide the solution in the center of the scrubbing member to maximize the distance for the solution to travel to reach the periphery of the scrubbing member. Although annular dams have been provided on the back of the scrubbing member, the force that the solution is thrown outward by its engagement with a rotating scrubbing member is often sufficient to allow the solution to flow over such dams. Although allowing solution through the lug to which the scrubbing member is removably secured has been utilized for larger, generally indirectly driven scrubbing members where the scrubbing members are secured to the lug by uprights or similar fasteners, solution flow through lugs having radially extending, circumferentially spaced ears has not been provided.
For optimal operation, squeegees must engage the floor surface with an operational force. Although springs can be utilized to provide a biasing force for squeegees, such biasing force varies when the squeegee changes position relative to the floor scrubber as it moves over uneven floors. Although utilizing dead weight on the squeegee provides constant operational force, such squeegees are bulky and otherwise disadvantageous.
As floor scrubbers are often utilized in environments where noise is not desirable such as in hospitals, suitable provisions must be made to deaden any sound generated by the floor scrubber. As floor scrubbers utilize solution and are often cleaned by spraying down with water, it is desired that electrical motors and other electrical components to which water and similar solutions may have a detrimental affect be located in environments which allow passage of air but generally prevent passage of solutions.
To reduce fabrication and assembly costs, the use of plastic components in floor scrubbers is increasing. However, plastic components do not have the ability to absorb forces that many metal components do. As an example, bumper wheels which are secured by axially extending fasteners will create excessive torque force on plastic components from which the fasteners extend.
As the floor scrubbing members are located on the underside of floor scrubbers, it is often necessary to tip the floor scrubber to gain access to the scrubbing members such as for servicing or replacement. For battery powered floor scrubbers, tipping of the batteries may be detrimental to the batteries themselves and may be difficult due to their relatively large mass. In addition, to extend operation of the floor scrubber and not requiring delay while discharged batteries are being recharged, it is desirable to replace the discharged batteries with replacement, charged batteries to allow operation of the floor scrubber while the discharged batteries are being recharged. Thus, the batteries are often removed from the floor scrubbers. Typically, two 12 volt batteries are connected in series. Thus, a need exists for easily electrically connecting and disconnecting the batteries to each other and to the floor scrubber without requiring the use of tools and for allowing ease of removal, replacement, and interchange of batteries in floor surface cleaning machines.
Thus, a need exists for surface cleaning machines which overcome these deficiencies in prior surface cleaning machines, which satisfy needs in the field of surface cleaning machines, and which are otherwise advantageous.
The present invention solves these needs and other problems in the field of surface cleaning machines by providing, in the preferred form, biasing of a mount for the drive of a floor surface treating member to pivot relative to a linkage plate in a direction to move the portion of the floor surface treating member opposite to the linkage plate towards the floor surface, with the linkage plate being pivotably mounted to the chassis at an acute angle to the forward movement direction.
In other aspects of the present invention, a drive lug has a plurality of ears radially extending from a cylindrical portion secured to a hub portion and has openings therebetween for passage of solution, with a trough defined between the cylindrical and hub portions for receipt and catching of the solution for passage through the openings.
In still other aspects of the present invention, a gas spring biases the engagement of the provisions for picking up solution against the surface at a constant force whether or not the surface is even.
In further aspects of the present invention, the vacuum assembly is sandwiched in a socket when a mount is removably secured to the socket. The vacuum assembly includes an inlet passing through a wall of the socket in a sealed manner and an outlet passing through the open end of the socket. In the preferred form, air communication is provided into and out of the socket while generally preventing entry of solutions into the socket.
In still further aspects of the present invention, a bumper wheel is secured by a fastener extending through first and second legs of a bracket and the bumper wheel and secured to a first plate of a pocket, with the central portion of the bracket flushly abutting with a second plate of the pocket for transferring forces thereto in the event that the bumper wheel engages an obstacle.
Also, in other aspects of the present invention, first and second batteries are connected in series by electrical connectors and to a harness connector so that the batteries can be easily electrically connected and disconnected to each other and to the surface cleaning machine without the use of tools for ease of removal, replacement, and interchange of the batteries in the surface cleaning machine.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a novel surface cleaning machine.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine biasing a surface treating member which provides a propelling force for assisting forward movement of the surface cleaning machine and which provides torque steer neutralization.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine biasing a surface treating member to maximize the size of its engagement pattern with the floor surface.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine having a drive lug including radially extending ears for removable securement of an annular scrubbing member and allowing passage of solution therethrough.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine having a drive lug including a trough for receipt and catching of solution for passage to the surface.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine biasing the provisions for picking up solution with a constant force against the surface independent of the position of the provisions.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine having the vacuum assembly sandwiched and without connectors inside of a socket.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine having the vacuum assembly in an environment where air is allowed to communicate but where solution is virtually prevented from entering.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine having the sound generated by the vacuum assembly deadened.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine having a reduced number of components and which is easy to assemble.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine where force transfer from the bumper wheels does not result in failure of its connection to a plastic component.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine where batteries connected in series can be easily electrically connected and disconnected to each other and to the surface cleaning machine without the use of tools.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide such a novel surface cleaning machine allowing ease of removal, replacement, and interchange of the batteries.
These and further objects and advantages of the present invention will become clearer in light of the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of this invention described in connection with the drawings.